Family, police seeking justice for shot Maple Shade poodle

Thursday

Toby was shot and severely injured Tuesday and later had to be put down. Neighbors found him on Fifth Avenue in Maple Shade.

MAPLE SHADE — Police are investigating the fatal shooting of Toby, a beloved township poodle, as a case of animal cruelty.

Toby’s owners, the Cook family, meanwhile are taking their own steps to find justice for the 9-year-old dog through Facebook and GoFundMe campaigns.

Marissa Cook said Thursday the “lovable” dog, who “always wanted to be the center of attention,” was adopted by her grandparents, Robert and Kathy Cook, when he was just 8 weeks old. He’s become well known in the neighborhood for his thrice-daily walks with Robert Cook, as well his frequent off-leash adventures, according to Marissa Cook.

“Everybody knew and loved Toby,” she said. When he would get out, “neighbors would just walk outside, call ‘Toby!’ and he’d let them walk him home.”

“Everyone in the community is heartbroken and we’re all on the same page: We need to find the person that did this,” Marissa Cook said. “Our main concern is we don’t want this to happen to someone else.”

“It seems like something (the culprit) would do again,” she added. “You probably don’t kill just one innocent puppy.”

Toby was shot and severely injured sometime early Tuesday evening, according to the Cook family.

At about 6:30 p.m. a neighbor found Toby, howling in pain on Fifth Avenue, a short distance from the Cook’s house on the 800 block of Greenwood Avenue.

The family rushed Toby to a vet who discovered an “object lodged in (Toby’s) head”, according to Maple Shade police. Marissa Cook specified that an x-ray revealed the object to be a .22 caliber bullet.

Toby had to be euthanized, and on Wednesday, the Cook family contacted police to report the incident.

“The Maple Shade Police Department will not tolerate cruelty to animals,” Fletcher said, adding that the police department’s certified humane law enforcement officers would work with the prosecutor’s office to “bring to justice anyone that does kill or injure an animal in Maple Shade.”

Marissa Cook said her family believes someone might have shot Toby after being frustrated at his frequently getting out and roaming the neighborhood.

“We believe there’s a possibility someone grabbed him when he got out (Tuesday) night and shot him somewhere else in Maple Shade and then dumped him on Fifth (Avenue) as a way to show how angry they were about him constantly getting out,” Marissa Cook said. “This is a town notorious for posting constantly about hearing gunshots so for once if you heard something … let us know.”

“Please we need your help,” she added in the post. “Let’s come together and find this disturbed person before they do this to a human."